LinkedIn’s VP of Talent Solutions and Insights, Dan Shapiro, indicated that “through regular surveys, LinkedIn has determined that 20 percent of its users are actively seeking new positions and 20 percent couldn’t be happier in their jobs. The remaining 60 percent fall into the passive job seeker category.” Shapiro went on to state that the social networking site is working diligently on the back-end to find out exactly what it is that makes the “passive job seeker” believe a particular job is the right fit. If that question can be answered, LinkedIn will hold the key to a valuable recruiting tool that will take the guesswork out of matching jobs to candidates.

So, what IS a Passive Job Seeker? It’s someone who is employed, but is definitely open to new opportunities that might come to them. In other words, passive job seekers are not actively networking for a new job, but are open to being recruited.

More and more hiring decision makers I talk to reach out to contacts on LinkedIn to see if they are interested in a job opportunity without that person ever waving an “I’m looking” flag. It’s a bold move, but they don’t see the harm in simply asking if someone is willing to talk.

So if you’re a passive job seeker, how do you make sure hiring decision makers even know to recruit you? The most important thing is to make sure your LinkedIn profile is complete. Fill it out all the way, including links to your resume, portfolio, and strategic descriptions of your achievements and skills.

This way, if someone looks at your profile, they can be supplied with the information necessary to determine whether or not they should even ask if you’re interested. If your profile is incomplete, what does that really tell them? Most likely that they should move on to the next person!

Have you ever landed a new job through LinkedIn? Would you describe yourself as a passive job seeker? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!